Military & Veterans Education Benefits

GI Bill^® and Other Education Benefits

Veterans, service members, and their qualified family members admitted to California Western School of Law will find that their VA education benefits are a valuable resource in paying for law school. Education benefits may be used independently or paired with scholarships, Federal Work-Study, and student loans to help meet most education-related costs.

California Western School of Law is committed to your success and proudly participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program at the 100% level and we award benefits to all eligible students.  

GI Bill^® and Other Education Benefits

The amount to be received is specific to the to the student and type of VA education benefit. Visit the VA website for information on current VA education benefit rates.

• Chapter 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill 
• Yellow Ribbon Program
• Chapter 35 Survivors and Dependents Assistance Program (DEA)
• Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) 
• Chapter 1606 (Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)
• Chapter 32 Veterans Education Assistance Program – (VEAP)
• Fry Scholarship 
• Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) (formerly Vocational Rehabilitation)

How to Apply for VA Benefits

The Veteran’s Administration determines your eligibility for education benefits. You may wish to review the types of benefits available and the eligibility requirements for the specific chapters. Visit the VA website for detailed information about GI Bill and other education benefit eligibility.

Once you have determined the type of benefits that apply to you, visit the VA website for more information on how to apply for the GI Bill and related benefits. After you have been approved for education benefits, please email a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) Letter, from the VA, to JavaScript Required. 

Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E), recipients will find information about eligibility and applying for benefits on the VA website dedicated to Veteran Readiness and Employment. If you need assistance or documentation for your VR&E Counselor, please contact us at JavaScript Required. Once your Counselor has approved your benefits for law school, please email your approval letter to the Financial Aid office at JavaScript Required. 

Request Certification

Use the Veterans Education Benefits Certification Request Form, available in your Financial Aid Portal, to request certification of your attendance and costs at California Western. The School Certifying Official will continue to report your enrollment to the VA while you remain enrolled. If you wish to pause using your benefits, please notify the Financial Aid Office at JavaScript Required well in advance of the start of classes for the term(s) you do not want certified. 

General Information

To check the status of your benefits, change your address & more, use the VA eBenefits portal.

Post-9/11 GI Bill students who receive Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) and/or kicker payments must verify their enrollment to continue receiving their payments. See Enrollment Verification for information about when and how to complete this requirement.

Changes in enrollment after classes begin may result in increased or reduced eligibility for benefits and may result in the need to return some, or all, of your VA funds. Contact the Financial Aid Office immediately upon deciding to alter your enrollment for a given semester.

Scholarships, Federal Work-Study, and Student Loans are available to all students who meet the eligibility criteria.  College Financing Plans will be available on the Documents and Messages screen of the Financial Aid Portal. 

GI Bill^® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available on the official U.S. government website: https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Yellow Ribbon at California Western School of Law

As part of our commitment to veterans and their dependents, California Western School of Law participates at the 100% level in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. As part of the program, degree-granting institutions of higher learning in the U.S. voluntarily enter into an agreement with the Veterans Administration to help fund tuition expenses for eligible veterans not otherwise covered by scholarships or the annual tuition allotment in the Post-9/11 GI Bill® or Fry Scholarship. 

California Western offers Yellow Ribbon Program funds to all eligible admitted and continuing JD candidates. Yellow Ribbon funds, combined with the Post-9/11 GI Bill® or Fry Scholarship annual allowance, will cover full tuition and fees for as long as the student remains eligible.  To receive Yellow Ribbon Benefits at California Western School of Law, you must be admitted and eligible for Post-9/11 benefits or the Fry Scholarship at the 100% level. Students awarded will continue to receive Yellow Ribbon benefits while California Western participates in the program, while the student remains continuously enrolled, and while they continue to meet all applicable eligibility criteria.